What Have I Done?
by the first x-man
Summary: Just another possible twist on the ending. I don't really want to give anything away.


**WHAT HAVE I DONE?**

Rapunzel sat on her bed hunched over with grief as Gothel removed the flowers from her hair and unbraided it. Thoughts of Eugene kept running through her head and what he had done to her. He left her on the shore in the middle of the night and let two men come after her.

"There…it never happened." Gothel announced as she dropped the last flower into the wicker basket.

"Now wash up for dinner, I'm making hazel nut soup."

Gothel turned to see Rapunzel had not moved with her hands in her lap, head bowed.

"I really did try, Rapunzel, I tried to warn you what was out there. The world is cruel, and dark, and selfish. If it sees even the slightest ray of sunshine, it destroys it."

"But…I thought…I thought he liked me."

Rapunzel barely got the sentence out, choking on a sob stuck in her throat. She could feel the hot tears running down her face.

Gothel walked back to her daughter with a sympathetic look.

"I know dear, but I tried to tell you he wasn't interested. What else would he want with you? The minute he saw you he knew he could take advantage of your lack of intelligence. Wasn't he who told them about your hair and your power? Wasn't he who left you to the mercy of two men who could easily over power you? He planned this whole thing the minute he had the chance, and had I not followed you …well… I'm afraid to know what might happen to you."

Rapunzel looked up with a look of horror, shock and sadness. Tears streaks stained her freckled face.

"I don't understand. How was he able to do this… he had no idea about my hair. At least… not until I healed his hand. And how was he able to tell anybody? I was with him the whole time…

"…The whole time Rapunzel?"

Rapunzel though back. Her eyes shifted as she dug in her memory trying to think of the moment when he could have told anyone her secret she spent her whole life trying to hide. Then… it hit her…

"The camp fire." She gasped.

"That's right. He had just enough time to tell his thugs the plan, where to meet him, and come back. How else did they know where to meet him? How did they know where you two were going to be? The only way was if he told them without you being there."

Rapunzel's hurt and depression was slowly turning to anger. How could someone take advantage of someone so innocent? All she ever wanted her whole life was to see the floating lanterns. Was that too much to ask? Was that such a big request that she had to pay for it by being taken advantage of? No…she was not…

Her thoughts were interrupted. All of a sudden she heard something faint outside. It sounded familiar. Like hooves beating the ground. And then…

"RAPUNZEL…RAPUNZEL LET DOWN YOUR HAIR!"

Her heart nearly leapt out of her chest when she heard his voice. Oh that amazing sweet voice. She was about to run down stairs to greet him but was abruptly stopped by Gothel.

"WAIT… where are you going? Are you telling me after all he has put you through you are going to just go running back into his arms?"

"But he came back for me."

"Of course he did. He probably found out that his partners were unable to hold onto you and he is going to use you again to make another profit. Rapunzel, remember, you are the victim here. He used you for your power and sold you for a tiara. Now he knows where you are what you are incapable of and he is going to continue to use you so long as you let him."

So many thoughts ran through Rapunzel's head. He tried to make her feel guilty about betraying her own mother. Then he took advantage of her lack of knowledge at the Snuggley Duckling. Why wouldn't he use her again? Rapunzel's blood began to boil.

Gothel saw this and smiled. Things were going her way. And she decided to use this.

"Come with me dear I have an idea."

Down below at the tower Eugene waited anxiously. He called to her but there was nothing…no sound. He decided to climb up, though it would be more difficult without the help of the arrows. He was about three feet off the ground when he heard something creak above. Eugene looked up and then…

'Whoosh', a thick golden rope of his beloved's hair came down.

'Oh thank God,' he thought, 'she's alright.'

He climbed as fast as he could. The muscles in his arms burned, but he kept going, he was not going to stop to rest until he reached the top.

"Rapunzel, I thought I'd never see you again."

Eugene climbed through the window and jumped off the sill. He looked up to see his love but before he could comprehend what had happed he felt something sharp and cold plunge into his stomach. Pain, shock and confusion came over his face for when he looked down he saw the knife embedded deep into his abdomen. But it was more of _who_ was holding the knife that really confused him. Eugene looked up only to see pure cold hatred in the eyes of a girl who once had nothing but love and wonder that made them sparkle. Rapunzel ripped the knife out causing Eugene to choke out a gasp and collapse to the ground on his knees and then to his side. Eugene desperately clutched his wound struggling against the pain. A strangled groan escaped his lips as he curled himself inward. Looking up at her in desperation he choked out,

"Ra…Rapunzel…wha…, " was all he was able to get out before another spasm of pain shot through him.

"You should have never come back here. You should have left when you had the chance."

Her voice was as cold and harsh as the knife.

"I'm not letting you use me or anyone else any longer. You are nothing but a common thief and you're going to die that way."

A pool of blood started to accumulate below him and it was difficult to breathe. His attempts to staunch the bleeding were failing. His vision blurred along with his thoughts as he tried to figure out what she meant.

Gothel used this as her queue to step from a dark corner behind Rapunzel. She looked at Eugene with a cruel victorious grin as if to say, 'I have won, you will never save her.'

Gothel took a chain and clasped it around Eugene's wrist.

"Come on Rapunzel, help me drag him to the banister we cannot take any chances of him following us."

Eugene saw this as an advantage. A soon as Gothel was close enough to him he pulled her down catching her off guard. She lost her balance toppling down on top of him, knocking over the mirror, shattering glass everywhere. Pain shot through Eugene's body as she hit his stomach but was able to not let that stop him. The chain that was attached to his wrist he used to wrap around Gothel's neck, while simultaneously grabbed a broken piece of glass and held it to her throat.

Everything happened so fast that Rapunzel was unsure of what to do. One minute Eugene was bleeding out on the floor and the next he had her mother in a choke hold about ready to slice her throat open.

"Tell her the truth." He demanded gritting his teeth

"I don't know what…", Gothel started to say but Eugene tightened the chain.

"You know damn well what I'm talking about NOW TELL HER!"

Rapunzel confused as to what he was talking about, looked at her mother and asked,

"Tell me what? Mother… what is he talking about?" Her voice shook. There was an uneasy feeling growing in her about the knowledge that was about to be revealed.

"It's you Rapunzel….you are the lost Princess. Why do you think those lantern go up every year on YOUR birthday? Why do you think I came back? "

His voice had softened and looked at Rapunzel with regret

Eugene's strength was weakening fast and the blood he was losing was not slowing either. But he had to make sure Rapunzel knew the truth before the woman he had in his captivity could ruin her life any more than she has already done.

Gothel took advantage of this and elbowed him in the stomach. Instantly Eugene let go and fell back once again clutching his stomach as he let out a cry.

Gothel got up, removed the chain from her neck and was about to approach Rapunzel but she still held the knife she used on Eugene, now held toward Gothel.

"Is this true, all these years I have been hiding from people who would use me for my powers? Should I have been hiding from …you?" Rapunzel shook with fear and anger.

Gothel looked at her with disgust.

"Fine, it's true. So I used you. What are you going to do, stab me like you stabbed your lover there? You know, he was innocent through this whole thing. He was actually going to be hanged for his crimes as a thief."

Gothel walked toward her threateningly slow. Rapunzel walked back still holding the knife with both hands towards Gothel trembling in fear.

"You're not going to kill me. I'm all you have. You already killed the only other person who showed you any kind of interest and now all you have is me. You will never survive on you own."

With that, Gothel quickly grabbed Rapunzel's wrist, twisted the knife out of her hands and started to drag her towards the back door.

"NO! I WONT LET YOU!" Rapunzel cried.

Rapunzel tried to fight back but Gothel managed to twist her arm behind her giving her the ability to move Rapunzel any which way she pleased. Rapunzel struggled more only to cause pain to herself. It was more of a cat playing with a wounded mouse to Gothel.

Meanwhile Eugene's consciousness was fading in and out but with one last bit of strength he had left, he took a broken shard of glass and with the end of Rapunzel's hair near him, sliced through it causing it to lose its power. But that was it… that was all he had left.

Almost instantly, Gothel felt as if she had been hit with some supernatural force. She let go of Rapunzel and dropped the knife.

"NO, WHAT HAVE YOU DONE? WHAT HAVE YOU DONE?!"

Right before her eyes, Gothel shriveled and turned into dust leaving Rapunzel in shock. She looked down at the pile of ash that was her mother, then to her hair which was now a chocolate brown, then slowly turned back to the man who came to save her, and who was now dying due to her actions. Eugene's lifeless form laid on his side in a pool of his own blood, eyes closed, barely breathing. She walked over to him afraid yet desperate to turn back time. To undo what she had done. She knelt down at his side pulling him into her lap and cradling his head in her arms. Tears ran freely down her cheeks. She felt sick to her stomach.

"Eugene," she cried "Eugene come back to me."

Eugene weakly gasped for air as a raspy cough came from deep within his chest. It was all he could do to let her know he was still with her, somehow. His eyes only fluttered partially open and then closed again as his head lolled to the side.

Surprised at his will to fight she maneuvered his head back to face her and desperately pleaded,

"No… look at me… look at me, you're gonna be alright, don't go, stay with me Eugene."

She grabbed her long brown hair and pressed it to his stomach and began to sing the incantation.

Eugene tensed up and breathed in sharply as a jolt of pain shot through his body from her pressing down hard in a futile attempt to save him.

"Rapunz…,"he ran out of breath.

"Hey…"

"Ugh…Rapunzel."

Finally he was able to get her attention. He wanted to give into the darkness so badly where there was no pain…just sleep…as if he hadn't slept in days. But he needed to tell her one last thing before he left her for good.

"You were my new dream." He whispered.

Rapunzel choked on a sob.

"Oh God what have I done, I'm s..so s..sorry Eugene."

"Shh.. it's ok…no matter what h..happens….I'll always…love you."

"I… l love you too."

With that Eugene gave a weak smile though it was short lived. Suddenly a violent cough shook his body, and his breathing became more strenuous and rattled.

"Oh God, no please Eugene, don't leave me!" she cried as she pressed harder on his stomach but it was too late. Eugene's eyes rolled back fluttering shut and exhaled his last breath. His body went limp in her arms.

Sobs shook Rapunzel's body as she held him tight not wanting to let go. The one person that truly loved her, the one man she ever loved, now gone from her… forever.

A/N: OK, so this is the first fanfiction I have ever written. Usually I don't write...period. Please let me know what yall think. If it totally sucks don't be afraid to tell me. I embrace constructive criticism, and your reviews will help me decide whether or not I should continue this new hobby of mine. Thanks yall for reading. Hope you enjoyed.


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